THE INTERNATIONAL CENTENARY EXHIBITION OF THE RED CROSS ORGANISATION OPENED IN GENEVA TODAY (THURSDAY) AND WILL CONTINUE UNTIL SEPTEMBER 15.

ITS SECTIONS INCLUDE ONE DEVOTED TO RED CROSS HISTORY, ONE EXPLAINING THE ORGANISATION OF THE RED CROSS, THE OTHERS DEAL WITH VARIOUS ACTIVITIES OF THE ORGANISATION, SUCH AS PUBLIC HEALTH, DISASTER ASSISTANCE.

A COMMITTEE WHICH WAS TO BECOME THE INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE OF THE RED CROSS WAS ESTABLISHED BY FOUR CITIZENS OF GENEVA IN 1863.THEY DREW ON THE EXPERIENCES OF HENRY DUNANT WHO SUGGESTED THE ESTABLISHMENT OF RELIEF SOCIETIES AFTER BEING DISTRESSED AT THE SIGHT OF WOUNDED LEFT ABANDONED IN A WAR HE OBSERVED IN EUROPE IN 1859.THUS WAS BORN THE INTERNATIONAL RED CROSS, A WORLD WIDE MOVEMENT OF 87 NATIONAL SOCIETIES AND 153 MILLION MEMBERS.

THERE ARE SEVEN RED CROSS PRINCIPLES: HUMANITY, IMPARTIALITY, NEUTRALITY, INDEPENDENCE, VOLUNTARY SERVICE, UNITY AND UNIVERSALITY.